The Watchmen

Joe Cunningham

Business Administration—1st Year

It was a humid spring afternoon. The sun shone down onto the sea. The seagulls were plentiful this time of the year, and they made sure to visit the island. The waves broke softly onto the shore, creating a foam surrounding the coast. The day was at its peak, and it was letting the sea know it. Sunlight penetrated every part of the little island and into the waters surrounding it. One could look into the sea and see what things did in the dark. The top layer of water was see-through, in which smaller fish could be seen sunning themselves, enjoying the heat of the day. Their friends who didn't have those same feelings swam deeper, using the hot ocean water's rapid current to speed by. O' to be free. Even deeper the ocean became more diverse; squids, turtles, and a few sharks swam by, on with their daily mission.

The fish played their games as Harrison opened the door.

"Good afternoon, fish," Harrison said.

He wiped his brow clean from the sweat of the day. The waves cooled him as the smell of salt filled the air. He carried himself like the seagulls on the waves. As he walked, he bobbed up and down, seemingly not aware of the world around him, careless and free. Well, not truly free. Harrison was a research assistant off the coast of Florida with his partner, Lawrence. Well, not really a partner; Lawrence was his supervisor. For good reason, though, Lawrence had been on the island for many years. He was revered in the scientific community for being the watchful stoic. Some referred to him endearingly, or mockingly, as the "Watchman." Harrison hoped to one day gain the same respect as his mentor.

But first, Harrison did what he had to do every day. He walked down to the sea and collected a sample to measure for salinity, micro-pollutant count, and a few other things. Things like these are critical to Lawrence and Harrison's research. Before Lawrence was isolated at the station, he was one of the top climate researchers on the east coast. He specialized in the climate's impact on weather and hurricanes. While many of his colleagues appreciated his work, they were hesitant to accept some of his theories, so Lawrence set out to prove he was right. He received grants from the state of Florida to find and build a research station off its coast. He took up inhabitance of the island and began his work.

Growing up, Harrison had always been fascinated by the world around him. He spent his time in the woods by his house, taking notes on the things around him, noting the changes, and reporting the findings to his friends and family. It was cute when he was younger, but he was encouraged to find more "normal" hobbies as he grew older. Despite his family's efforts, Harrison did not find those things fascinating. That said, he did not want to be the weird kid, so he did the usual stuff that kids do. Still, he kept his interest in the natural world throughout his schooling, writing reports and taking classes on it.

As he grew older, some of the things he remembered from when he was younger weren't there anymore. His favorite stream had dried up years ago, the wildlife he grew up with had moved north, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a firefly. So, as the scientist he was, Harrison investigated why things were the way they were. After a quick search online, he was greeted with an overwhelming amount of information pointing to the changing climate. The information online matched up with what his findings suggested, so Harrison set out to solve this problem.

He applied and was accepted to the best climate studies school in the nation. He double-majored as an Environmental Science and Atmospheric scientist and graduated at the top of those programs. He gladly accepted a job for the U.S. Department of Energy as a researcher and set out to work, excited for his newest adventure. What he did not expect was to be stuck in a lab, combing through numbers on a screen, least of all in a suit. He hated suits. As an act of defiance against everyone who told him to put his magnifying glass away when he was little and follow what he felt was his true calling, he went into field research. His friends thought he was crazy, giving up a high-paying comfy office for a pair of boots and his trusty magnifying glass, but Harrison knew it was what he needed to do to fight the beast.

As a young scientist without a full understanding of the world, he had referred to the thing that was taking away his nature friends as "The Beast." He imagined it bigger than a bear and much meaner. It ate anything fun, scared off the rest, and consumed all the resources for himself. He would take down that beast if it were the last thing he did. When he heard about an opening for a research assistant with one of the top scientists in his field, he applied, not knowing what he was getting himself into. After being accepted and informed of the position's nature, he still showed up on the dock that foggy morning in March.

"He's a nice guy, y'know."

"I'm sorry, who? And who are you?" questioned Harrison.

"I'm Samson. I'll be your chauffeur today on your one-way ticket to the big city."

"What city?" Harrison asked, concerned he was in the wrong place.

"I'm kidding. That's what I call that little spot of paradise."

"Oh, is it that nice?" Samson had piqued Harrison's curiosity. When he applied, he wasn't told much about his new office. He knew it was in Florida and that he would be secluded from many people, but not much more.

"Well, I'm not sure if I'd use the term 'nice,' but it does have a homey feel to it."

"And who were you talking about?"

"Oh, that would be Lawrence. He's the hermit—the king of the castle. I am not only your captain today, but I also deliver food and supplies to the island. It's a side gig, and I get some good kickback. Been doing this for quite some time now. I don't do it for the money though, I know what he's doing out there."

"Oh, and what's that?" Harrison asked, almost testing him.

"He’s finding a cure for this sickness that the earth has. Y’know, the thing that’s been hurting my tourism business. I own a small boat tourism business that gives people tours of the town, the area, some wildlife. Y’know, touristy things.”

“Hm, sounds like you’ve got a lot at stake here.”

“Oh, I do. I’ve been out here too long to do anything else. Been my life’s passion. So, I must help old Larry.”

“Larry or Lawrence?” Harrison asked.

“Well, probably Lawrence for you, cause he’s your boss, but he’ll be Larry to me. And you are?”

“Oh yes, how rude of me. My name is Harrison…”

“Ha! Harry and Larry. A match made in heaven.”

This is going to be a long boat ride, Harrison thought. Over the next few months, Samson would become Harrison’s best friend. It was not because they grew close, but rather because he was the only person besides Lawrence that he could talk to, and Lawrence wasn’t exactly the friendly type.

***

“Yes, a firefly,” he thought. Not a lightning bug. Harrison finished collecting his sample in a large glass beaker and brought the samples inside the station.

The station itself was a sight to behold. It was a refurbished lighthouse, leftover from long ago. It was built around the beginning of the twentieth century and maintained by the Coast Guard until the early 2000s when it became a tourist destination, as ships gained the technology that would make lighthouses unnecessary. It was a tourist destination for a few years, but as the sea level progressively rose, it was cut off from the mainland. Luckily, it was built high on the hill and was spared from the tides. However, the area surrounding it was shallow and low-lying land and was swallowed by the ocean. After a few decades, it was miles off the mainland but still perfectly preserved. When Lawrence was searching for a place to conduct his research, he turned to the Coast Guard to see if there were any locations available for use. He was practically given the land for free if he completed the paperwork for it, and if there’s one thing that Lawrence loved, it was paperwork. Lawrence moved out to the island and renovated the lighthouse. It was turned into his workspace, laboratory, and home all in one.

Lawrence didn’t mind the seclusion, he had never been a people-person, and even more so, he would be able to conduct all his research first-hand without needing to go through the proper channels. He operated practically outside the law. Not because he was doing shady work, but because he didn’t need to follow all the necessary precautions. For years he did the job by himself. However, as he grew older, he found that he wasn’t able to do it all by himself. Partially because of his age but partly because his research scope expanded to include much more than he intended. So, Lawrence put out a notice to some of his old colleagues seeking additional help. While some were initially willing to join, Lawrence’s controlling behavior and near manic attitude lost him those skilled workers. So, he put in word to some of the top colleges for that type of research.

After sifting through applicants, Harrison’s stood out from the rest because his application went beyond being at the top of his class. Harrison showed that he had a love for nature and wanted to do what he could to save it. Lawrence appreciated some optimism but was fearful that his apprentice would be too hopeful for the future. Lawrence wrote to Harrison saying that he had been given the position and instructions to meet him. Harrison booked the first flight out to the small town and soon met his new friend, Samson.

***

“Afternoon, Lawrence.”

“Harrison.”

Lawrence had just sat down eating his soup, which he always did precisely at 12:35pm. Lawrence was a man who thrived with the exactness of life. As Harrison walked past him with the sample, he noticed Lawrence had everything in the same place as always; napkin on his lap, bowl about two inches from the edge of the table, his spoon in his right hand. Harrison did not share this trait with Lawrence. It wasn’t that Harrison was messy, but that he wasn’t as organized as Lawrence. It’s hard to compare yourself to a god.

Lawrence was the god of exactness. Everything he owned had its own special place, labeled with a language that only he understood and marked down in a notebook with its exact location. To say Lawrence was a control freak would be an understatement. When he was with others, this became especially apparent, but he was forced to express this in another way since his seclusion. That’s why his workspace was so perfectly organized. This is also the reason why it was so difficult to find anyone to work with. He put himself in charge of every team, directed who was to do each task and chastise anyone who broke ranks. He was an irritable man who made an irritable partner. Harrison was able to look past this, though, and saw him as the cheery old man he knew Lawrence could be.

Harrison made his way to the lab to check the sample. He poured it into a machine that would find all the critical information.

Salinity: 35 parts per thousand

Micro-pollutants: slightly below normal

Temperature: 28° C

This data was usual for an early spring day. The temperature was about a degree hotter than expected, but nothing to be worried about. Over the past few decades, the sea surface temperature of the ocean had been slowly rising. While most of the world believed in climate change and support measures to slow its effect on the earth, there grew two groups with two very different viewpoints but the same end visions. The first was the remnants of the non-believers. Their parents were likely climate change deniers, and they too had tried to deny it, but now the information was irrefutable. So, they believe in predestination. It had a cult-like personality to it, but they thought that God, or something, decided to change the climate, so action shouldn’t be taken. This group believed that the world would end in some catastrophic way, but it will be God’s decision. The second group, a grim few, mostly scientists, saw the data, did the research, and concluded that there is no viable course of action that can save the earth. No Mother Earth deal Congress could compromise. No worldwide kumbaya. Humans, in all their greed, had doomed the planet. Lawrence belonged to the latter.

Lawrence’s decades of research had shown him two things. The effects that climate change is having on the earth are more devastating than ever could have imagined, and even in the face of death and destruction, humans still loved their shiny things. When faced with the overwhelming effects of climate change, politicians continued to debate over highways' names. Their self-assumed honor blinded them to the reality that they would never get their stories told. They would never get a memorial library, or street, or anything. They had doomed their legacy. Lawrence despised them for this but knew they were a part of a bigger problem. One that focused so intently on the individual that no one ever looked away from the mirror.

“The children of Narcissus,” Lawrence would say scornfully. It was a title he had gifted to the world. Lawrence was grateful to be away.

The distant sound of a foghorn could be heard. This was Samson’s signal to “Larry and Harry” that he was bringing their monthly shipments. These mostly consisted of food and potable water, but if either of the two had ordered anything, he would deliver their packages. On the rare occasion they received mail, Samson was given permission to access a P.O. Box in town and would deliver to the island. Samson was their only real contact to the mainland.

Harrison unloaded the cargo from Samson’s boat as Lawrence spoke briefly with Samson.

“What’s the diagnosis Doc?” said Samson.

“Same as always. Nothing is new,” replied Lawrence.

“Well, if you don’t mind me asking, if nothing’s new, then why are you and Harry out on the island?”

“Come close,” whispered Lawrence. “You must swear not to tell anybody, but Harrison and I are working towards a goal set forward by some of the world's leading scientists and backed by the CIA itself.”

“Woah. The CIA?” asked Samson mystified.

“The CIA. But our mission is top secret, and if I told you any more, I’d be killed.”

“Of course, Larry. Anything you say.” Samson saluted and got the boat ready to head back to the mainland.

“Why do you do that to him?” Harrison questioned.

“What? An old man can’t have some fun?” Lawrence chuckled.

“It’s not that. I’m not sure. It just seems wrong. Like you’re getting his hopes up for something.”

“Nothing.” Lawrence hissed. “There is nothing to get his hopes up for. There isn’t a future for this world.”

Harrison stood staring at Lawrence. His face showed disgust partially and pity. Harrison revered Lawrence for all the work he had done, but his attitude about the future seemed to make all their efforts worthless. Like throwing twigs into a river hoping to make a dam. When Harrison had signed on, he had hoped that he and Lawrence would be doing the kind of research that would be saving the world. Lawrence was indifferent to Harrison’s dreams but didn’t want the boy to have false hopes for the future. Despite Lawrence’s pessimism, Harrison did his best work, knowing in his heart that he would be able to save the ones he loved so

It was that hopeful time of year; the flowers were blooming, the children were preparing for their summers, and spirits were high. That is, everyone’s except Lawrence’s. Lawrence was staring at the data Harrison had collected for that day, and it frightened him. The surface temperature was reading at 30° C. This was above average than usual, but paired with the readings another team had collected off Western Africa's coast is what scared him. Recently surface temperatures in the area had been significantly higher than average, and crews had been spotting excessive clouds forming in the area. These signs pointed to a hurricane.

This was nothing new for Lawrence. While living on the island, he had lost count of how many hurricanes he had been through. However, over the past few years, hurricanes have been becoming more powerful. The amount of Category five hurricanes had more than doubled in recent years, with category three and four hurricanes nearly doubled. Unlike the tempests of his childhood, these could not be deterred by boarding up windows. These hurricanes were the most destructive forces in nature. The largest of hurricanes can expel the same amount of energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs from beginning to end. Lawrence had grown to have a healthy fear of these monsters. He viewed them as one legendary athlete views its competition; he respected but detested them.

“Harrison!” Lawrence called.

“Yes, sir?”

“I’ve been going over the data, and it looks like we’ll be seeing our first storm of the season.”

“Well, that’s wonderful, sir.”

“It is, isn’t it,” Lawrence replied. “That means over these next few days, we’re going to need to be focused. We’ll need to collect more data than we normally would, multiple readings a day so that we can report our findings.” “Yes, sir!” Harrison loved this time of year. It’s when he truly felt valued as a researcher; like all his student loans were worth it.

Over the next few days, Harrison and Lawrence worked hard to collect different samples for their studies. They saw the typical signs that a hurricane was coming, like a rise in tides, a rise in temperature, and a pressure drop. The two gathered their supplies and braced for impact as the storm crawled nearer. The storm grew as it flew towards the United States and was eventually categorized as a hurricane. As the storm's outer edges started to hit the island, its top wind speeds were clocked in at 120 mph, classifying it as a category three hurricane named Hurricane Kate.

As Kate reached the mainland, Lawrence and Harrison were in the lab, checking all their sensors to find necessary data. They checked wind speed, atmospheric pressure, and a few other small details. As the storm hit Florida, it curved towards the Gulf of Mexico and crawled along the coast. The lighthouse was boarded up and secured, so only some devices outside the station would be affected. Still, wind-whipped the station, and waves crashed along the rocky shore, spewing water into the air and up against the sides of the lighthouse. Lawrence had grown used to these storms, but lesser so Harrison. Harrison had grown up only seeing hurricanes on the news, he had gotten first-hand experiences with these storms only in recent years. Still, Harrison was excited, as this year was expected to be a major hurricane season.

Kate took its time, as it would make landfall, unleashing millions of gallons of water onto a city, rotate back into the Gulf, and repeat this process. What it lacked in outright destruction from wind speed, it overflowed with water. This action was becoming normalized for hurricanes, to berate a coast for days and days, before finally dissolving. At one time, a “hundred-year flood” now occurred about once a decade along the Gulf and lower Atlantic coast and was happening even more frequently further north along the Atlantic Coastline. Despite the billions of dollars in property damage, the population along these coasts continued to grow. It seems people enjoy throwing caution, and money, to the wind, literally.

After Kate died out near North Carolina, Harrison checked the damage around the station. A few monitors had been busted, but the one major piece of equipment broken was their communication unit. Placed outside of the station, it was one of their more at-risk pieces of equipment, but nonetheless, Samson would arrive on time with that month’s shipment of supplies.

Sure enough, two weeks later, Samson arrived with the supplies. Because their signal was out, Lawrence had not been able to contact Samson about ordering new parts.

“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite customers!” Samson yelled out to Harrison and Lawrence as they waited on the dock for Samson to arrive. Lawrence stood on the dock smoking a cigarette, as he does when he gets especially nervous. As Harrison began unloading, Lawrence had a word with Samson about supplies he needed Samson to order.

“…Now make sure you order every part exactly as I have described to you. Our communications are out, so you will be unable to contact me about any questions you have. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Sergeant!” Samson barked.

“Good. Now I’m assuming that it will take a few weeks for the parts to come in, but hopefully by the next time you’re scheduled to deliver out here. If they come in early, I will pay you extra to get them out to us ahead of schedule. We must get these parts as soon as possible.”

“I will. Say, Larry, I haven’t seen you smoke in a while, not since Harry joined ya. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just a little nerve-racking heading into a major hurricane season without communications.”

“Well, I’ll bring them to you as soon as possible,” Samson assured him.

“Thank you. Now it looks like Harrison just finished, so we’ll be on our way.”

“Yes, it was good seeing you. And you too, Harry.”

“It was good seeing you too, Samson. I hope the business is well,” Harrison said as he shook Samson’s hand.

“Yeah, it’s fine. It always slows down right after a hurricane, but it's picking back up now. I’ll see you boys around!” Samson called out as he took off from the dock.

“He’s a good man,” Harrison said to Lawrence after Samson was out of earshot. “Reminds me of my uncle.”

“Your uncle sounds obnoxious.” Lawrence pointed out.

“Well, I guess he was. But it was always in an endearing way.” Harrison acknowledged.

Harrison brought the supplies into the station as Lawrence put them away, just like an old couple. Lawrence was the grumpy old man, and Harrison was the comforting grandma who would sneak you cookies from the jar after your mother told you no. Harrison did like cookies.

With some systems out of order, Harrison and Lawrence were forced to do much of the recording by hand. It was an exceptionally hot May, and in Florida, that meant humidity. Harrison had traded his standard button-down shirt in favor of a tank top. Lawrence continued his formality. That was something Harrison was never able to understand. Despite being the only two people in the station, Lawrence insisted on being well dressed. While Harrison respected his mentor’s decision, he never understood it. However, during the days where even the fish took the day off, Lawrence usually relaxed his rule and let Harrison wear something more fit for the weather.

Again, Harrison stood outside, reveling in the beauty of their island. Any relief from the heat he had hoped to receive from the waves dissipated when he realized how calm the waters were today. Harrison decided to dedicate less time to his daily praise of nature than usual, for the sun dictated that today would be an inside day, so Harrison collected his samples and went inside. After testing the samples, he checked the results.

Salinity: 45 parts per thousand

Sea surface temperature: 33° C

While other measurements would’ve been taken automatically, their equipment was destroyed, so Lawrence had pulled out some hardware that he had stored just in case. Harrison had set out a barometer to measure the atmospheric pressure, a thermometer to measure the temperature, and an anemometer to measure wind speed and direction. The pressure was lower than average, the temperature was high, obviously, and the wind was dead, as seen by the soft waves.

Harrison reported his findings to Lawrence then decided that he would go for a swim. He wanted to cool down, and with nothing more to do with their equipment destroyed, so he went back outside for a dip. Harrison peeled off his clothes and dove in. The island had a fairly steep drop-off on the side by the dock after years of storms and erosion, so Harrison knew he’d be fine.

It was a relaxing swim for Harrison. It had been a while since he had time to himself. It’s funny; on an island secluded from the rest of the world, he had trouble finding time to himself. As Harrison aimlessly floated near the dock, he felt the water fall underneath him, jolting him out of his relaxed state just before he was picked up by a wave. Though caught off guard, he was fine, just a little shaken. Still, he decided it was probably time to head in. As he swam back towards the dock, he was pulled back by another wave, this one larger than the one before. This one picked him up and tossed him a few feet into the air. He landed in the water on his back and went underwater. He swam back to the surface, just to be thrown by an even larger wave.

Now Harrison was afraid. He had always been a strong swimmer, even placing third place in his state’s swim championship when he was fifteen, but the now constant barrage of waves was out of his realm of experience. After a few minutes of the battle between the waves, Harrison grew tired; he felt his arms growing weaker. Every time he was close to the dock, he was dragged out by another wave. Harrison panicked, now practically flailing his arms and legs in hopes of catching onto the pier. He was exhausted. He tried without success to make it to the ladder but always came up short. Over his few minutes in the waves, he had swallowed a fair amount of water, making his trek even more difficult. Harrison was once again thrown out of the water, blindly reaching for the ladder. He misjudged his location, though, and was tossed into a piling. He felt his head whack onto the post, causing him to inhale a mouthful of water.

As he fell beneath the waves one more time, his focus changed from his current struggle to one of the past. He thought to himself that all his work would be for nothing. As a child, he couldn’t save his forest, no matter how hard he tried. So, when he decided to study the climate, he wanted to save the world’s forests, and everything else in it before The Beast took it, just like he had lost his. As Harrison struggled to pull himself to the surface, he thought of the people in his life that he would be letting down. That day, he added to the rising sea levels, as he shed tears as he realized what would happen to him. He would sink into the water. Sink deeper than the fish who had been sunning themselves. Deeper than the fish who would play their games. And Lawrence would be left alone, alone to do the work that Harrison had promised to do. Harrison wept. Wept for the loss of his future.

As Harrison’s legs gave up, an arm shot into the water. It grabbed his shoulder and pulled him out. Harrison’s vision was clouded, but he could make out Lawrence’s face, and he smiled. He then immediately threw up the water he had inhaled.

Lawrence patted his back as Harrison cleared out the last of the water. Lawrence went inside and got Harrison a towel and some dry clothes.

“Come in; we have work to do.”

Lawrence helped Harrison inside the station. The waves, which had been calm a short time ago, now splashed up and across the shore onto the lighthouse. As Harrison changed, Lawrence briefed him on what he had missed.

“I was looking through our storage, and I found a radio I brought when I first came to the island. I put some new batteries into and tuned into the first station I could find. It seems we’ve missed quite a bit. And it seems you’ve gotten the first taste of Hurricane Larry.”

Harrison couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

“I know, very funny, but this storm isn’t a laughing matter. It’s already ripped through Puerto Rico, and it's halfway through Dominica. All contact has been lost with those islands. It is expected to move along the east coast and spare the Gulf. It’s already been clocked in at 150 mph, making it a category four, and it hasn’t even hit the mainland, so it still can gain speed. The governor has already issued a state of emergency and a mandatory evacuation of most of the state. This is going to be a big one. I need you to help me prepare this place. Can you do that?”

Harrison paused for a moment. He felt himself over. Besides a couple of scratches and a splitting headache, he was fine, enough to help Harrison. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he replied.

“Good. Now we’ve got maybe two days, three tops before we’re gonna get hit. I expect that we’ll start getting rain tomorrow, so we should start working on the exterior now. I’ll find some boards and nails to get it boarded up. You take the ladder and get it set up.”

Over the next twenty-four hours, the two worked hand in hand to prepare the station for the storm. Harrison boarded up the windows, both inside and out, to ensure that winds would stay out as much as possible. Lawrence packaged away all unnecessary equipment but ensured that the other equipment was as much intact as possible.

As the first of the rain started to hit the station, Harrison and Lawerence finished preparing for the barrage. Lawrence had the radio on at almost all times, hoping for any new information they could receive. From what he heard, its wind speeds kept it from being categorized as a category five hurricane, but it had the wrath of one far greater. The ocean swells were already flooding many parts of southern Florida, even knocking out the power for parts of the state. A message from the governor would play every hour or so, pleading the people to get out or brace themselves for the storm. After the message played, a few experts spoke about the intensity of the storm.

“This is a storm we refer to as a Trojan horse. Because it is not labeled as a category five hurricane, many believe that it won’t be as damaging, and they choose to stay in their homes. While the wind may not take off the walls of your house, the water will. If you stay at home, expect to be picked up by a boat in a few days. Start calling your relatives because you’re gonna be their new roommate for the next few weeks.”

Lawrence didn’t like radio personalities, but he disliked the uneducated masses even more. How could some be given every chance to flee from death and not actually listen? When someone dedicates their life to this stuff, who knows what they’re talking about, takes time out of their day to warn them that they might die, and they don’t listen… “Yeah. No wonder these storms are getting worse in the first place.” While Harrison hoped to find some cure to global warming, Lawrence knew the truth and hated it.

As the storm progressed even further, Lawrence began to smoke again. Of all his traits and quirks, this was one Harrison hated the most.

“You know I hate it when you do that. The smoke you breathe fuels the beast we fight.” Harrison said.

“It is no use,” Lawrence replied.

The storm had picked up and was beating the sides of the lighthouse.

“No use? No use? If it’s no use, then why do we trap ourselves in this bunker? Away from the world. Away from those who care about us. I have dedicated my life to this work; every bone in my body calls out to me to fight for the world. I left everything I had to join you, sage of the arts, to fight for the world. If it was for nothing, then why did I join you?”

The radio went static as the storm raged around them.

“Can’t you see? Look at the data. You’ve collected it yourself for so long. What has it told you? It tells me that no one cares. The time of empathy is over. The world no longer cares about anyone but themselves. If you believe you can save the world, you are more naïve than I thought. There is no hope for this world. We have doomed it.”

The wind beat the sides of the lighthouse. The two were on the second floor of the tower. In the distance, it could be heard the nails being ripped out from the siding, a piece of wood splintering off, and a window shattering. The two were still protected by an interior layer of wood, but it was in question how long it would last.

Lawrence shouted to be heard above the storm, “Do you wanna know why I wanted you out here? I hoped to open your eyes! To release you from the prison you were kept in since a child and take you into the light of day! But no, you wanted to have the honors placed on you! Don’t you see, you child of Narcissus, you are still in the cave! I set you free, and what do you do? I tried to lead you into the light, and you shunned the knowledge! Do you know the allegory? If so, know what happens next.”

Every word Lawrence spoke fueled Harrison’s anger.

“I trusted you, you asshole! All I ever did was exactly as you told me!” Harrison wept as he spoke. “I hoped to gain knowledge, not for knowledge’s sake, but to use it to help my fellow man. I might be a son, but I will be the prodigal son. I will use the gift of knowledge that was given to me for good. I will save this world. You’ll see!”

As Harrison spoke, Lawrence began to laugh. At first, quietly to himself, but louder the more Harrison wept. Harrison felt as if the meaning of his life was leaving him. “I won’t let this happen,” he thought to himself. “I won’t let you take away my dream!” Harrison yelled. Lightning struck just outside the lighthouse. Harrison threw himself at Lawrence, and the two tumbled down the stairs.

The storm made its steady crawl across the Southeastern United States, unleashing hundreds of millions of gallons of water on its inhabitants. Harrison checked the damages to the lighthouse. A few panels were ripped off, more equipment was broken, and there was a hole in the roof, but other than that, the lighthouse was still standing.

After their fight, Lawrence was quiet, more so than usual. It looked like Lawrence’s arm was broken but mostly fine. Harrison had another big hit to the head, but mostly in one piece. Harrison took note of what needed to be ordered when Samson came next. He went over to the calendar to check when he was supposed to arrive and saw it was in two days. “We can handle two days, right Lawrence?” Harrison called out to Lawrence.

Lawrence gave no response.

“Lawrence, I’m sorry again about your arm. I made your favorite soup if you’d like to come down!”

Again, no response.

Harrison sighed. “Two days,” he thought to himself. Two days.

Two days came and went. Harrison stood on the dock waiting for Samson’s arrival, but it never came. Lawrence had been smart enough to store a month’s worth of food, but that was stretching it, especially for two people. Harrison would have to make it work. The pair decided to only have two meals a day until Samson arrived to stretch the food out even longer.

Harrison kept up making his daily measurements. He kept note of them in journals, as the computer was damaged in the storm. Harrison dreaded mealtime because it was the only time Lawrence had any real interaction with him. Mostly just eye contact, with only a few words exchanged here and there.

“I heard there’s another storm forming, so it looks like we’ll be able to get some more data. Hopefully, Samson will be here with our supplies so we can get some accurate measurements.”

“Mhm,” Lawrence replied.

Harrison made sure to listen to the radio for updates on this new storm. It was growing rapidly, and over a few hours, it had been labeled a category three hurricane.

The governor again took to the radio waves, “Folks, there is another storm forming, and it looks like this one is gonna be worse than the last one. I know we’re still recovering from Hurricane Larry, but we must prepare for Hurricane Mindy. If you have already left the state, please, don’t come back, not yet. If you are in neighboring states and you can get further inland, please do. If you are still at home and need to be rescued, please contact the Coast Guard, Police, or rescue services. We are setting up a hotline to call with any questions or concerns, but the state of Florida will again be bracing itself for the worst.”

The experts soon followed him, “the governor is absolutely right. This storm is building itself up over the mid-Atlantic, and it is taking its time. It’s rare for a storm to move through the classifications so rapidly to be named a category three hurricane in just a few hours. Hold on just a minute… Folks, I have just received word that Hurricane Mindy is being upgraded to a category four hurricane. I expect Mindy to continue its path of growth over the next few days, but please, get out if you can.”

Harrison stood silent for a moment. Lawrence walked over to him and spoke just above a whisper, “let’s assume that Samson isn’t coming. We need to brace for impact. We will continue to collect data, but until it reaches us, we must do everything we can to prepare the station.”

As Lawrence spoke, Harrison was grateful for the words he heard. Not for their content, but for the fact that Lawrence was saying more than a few words to him for the first time in days. Harrison had always looked up to Lawrence as someone who was really doing his most to save the people around him. It hurt Harrison that Lawrence had been so distant since the hurricane but was hopeful he would return to his old ways. Over the next week, the two prepared the lighthouse. Because of his broken arm, Lawrence wasn’t able to do any substantial work, but Harrison was happy to help his mentor. Because Lawrence couldn’t do much, he spent most of his days outside on the dock, watching. Lawrence noted his observations to use for their data. While Harrison was boarding up holes in the roof, he too would take time out of his labor to look onto the horizon. The first signs he noticed were the clouds. At first thin, wispy, cirrus clouds, but later heavier cumulonimbus clouds carrying heavy rain. Then the ocean swelled, with waves crashing onto the shore. Harrison made sure to fix the siding before moving to the roof. However, he couldn’t stay on the top long, as the strong winds came, pushing his equipment along the roof, forcing him to finish sooner than he had preferred. Lastly, Harrison noticed the pressure dropped. This was confirmed when checking the barometer, but he felt it had fallen when his head throbbed. He hadn’t fully recovered from the fall or the swim, and the change in pressure aggravated his head.

Harrison went to see if Lawrence’s arthritis was flaring up too but couldn’t find him anywhere. He checked the dock, the lab, and Lawrence’s room but couldn’t find him. Just as his head stopped hurting him, Harrison finally found Lawrence, but Lawrence was focused on other things.

They both stood over the radio listening to the voice trying to cut through the static. “This is the governor… winds clocked in at 190… leave now… no one will be able to save you… God bless you…” and the radio went to static.

“Holy shit.” That was the biggest storm Harrison would have experienced. He wasn’t sure if the lighthouse would be able to hold up against a storm that big. “Lawrence, do you think we’re gonna be okay?”

Lawrence looked over at Harrison. Harrison’s eyes shone towards him like beacons of light, reminding him of a child, or a deer. Lawrence assured, “my watchtower has been through a lot. I’m sure it can handle a Mindy.” This fatherly assurance comforted Harrison in a way he had not felt in a long time.

The time came when Mindy started to show her fury. The winds flew into the side of the station as the rain beat on the roof. The wind found holes in the structure and created a horrible whistling noise that pierced Harrison’s head. Harrison’s barricades stood no chance to Mindy’s might. As the storm progressed further, the wood protections were ripped away, the windows were shattered, and the power was cut. The lighthouse had been built to weather the toughest storms of its day, but things had changed. Just as man made stronger weapons of war, Mother Nature’s arsenal was always more powerful. Harrison ran upstairs to grab some things from his room when a window shattered, blowing glass around the room. He dove for cover but was cut by some of the shards blown about by the wind. He grabbed what he was after, and ran downstairs holding his face.

Harrison grabbed Lawrence and took him under the stairs. He held him in his arms and prayed to God for mercy. Harrison listened as the station's upper floors were torn apart, and water was forced in through the holes. As the water began to pool on the floor, Harrison felt a familiar feeling. His heart began to race as he remembered the struggle of his swim. He remembered the hopeless feeling as his muscles began to fail. He remembered the hand that saved him. Harrison remembered everything Lawrence had done for him and knew that he needed to protect him with his life.

Harrison shielded Lawrence as the storm raged on. Lawrence tried to speak to Harrison but was unrecognizable over the screams of the storm. Harrison struggled to hear or even see Lawrence through the storm. The two braved the storm for what felt like days before it started to clear up. Harrison didn’t move until he knew Lawrence was safe before finding some clean food and water for the both of them.

He found that most of their equipment was destroyed in his search, any physical copy of notes they had taken had disappeared, and their living areas had been ripped out and scattered along the shoreline. He realized that the station's steel frame was the reason it had not been ripped from its base. He couldn’t help but thank the old sailors who built the lighthouse so long ago.

While Harrison searched, he heard a distant foghorn.

Harrison raced out to the dock, or what was left of it, and saw a boat off in the distance, racing towards the island. He waved his arms, hoping to catch the attention of the captain. “Samson? Samson. Samson!” As the realization set in, Harrison called out, “Lawrence! Lawrence! Samson’s here. He’s come for us. I knew he would come for us.” When the ship was close enough, Harrison could recognize Samson’s curly blonde hair and mustache, and his heart kept with joy. Their hero had finally come.

As Samson pulled the boat up and jumped out, Harrison gave him a hug and was almost lifted off the ground. “Samson, I am so happy to see you.”

“Me too, buddy. Hey, it looks like you’ve got a decent scratch on your head. Are you okay?” Samson asked.

“I’m fine. Where the hell have you been?”

“Well,” Samson replied, “when Larry hit, it threw my boat onto shore and busted a pretty good hole in it, so I wasn’t able to sail it anywhere. I tried renting a boat to come out, but it seemed every boat in a hundred miles was busted or being used in the rescue. I called up a buddy of mine in Texas who would let me borrow his, but I had to sail it all the way out here. That was a good thing, though, because I was able to swing past Mindy by following her path. I had some pretty big swells, and a few times I thought I was a goner, but I came back as soon as I could. I’m sorry I don’t have any of your supplies…”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re here, and that’s all I could ask for.”

“Hey, where’s Lawrence?” Samson asked.

“Of course, Lawrence,” Harrison remembered. “He’s still inside. I tried calling for him to come out, but he must not have heard me. We’re both a little scraped up, so we’re gonna need to see a doctor, but come inside while I get a few things, and we can leave.”

The pair went inside to collect a few things, mostly the leftovers of some equipment and some of Harrison’s personal gear.

“So, where’d you say Lawrence was?” Samson asked.

“He must be upstairs. Let me go…”. It was then that the two of them both noticed.

Lawrence was sprawled out on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, with dried blood around him. In the same spot he was when Harrison landed on him.